Spring 2012 Urban Design Group Journal 122 James Newton Photography. ISSN 1750 712x — £5.00 © 2012 Speirs and Major Associates. URBAN TEMPORARY DESIgn URBANISM Speirs + Major are designers who work with light URBAN and darkness to create memorable experiences DESIGN of the city after dark. www.speirsandmajor.com GROUP URBAN DESIGN GROUP NewsUDG Update The proposal to re-pave the route as a extended piazza, vastly improving the set- VIEW FROM THE single surface was brave and controversial. tings of some of London’s most popular build- It is now complete and being embraced ings as well as encouraging people to walk CHAIR by pedestrians. Car users negotiate warily further along the street just for pleasure. across unfamiliar diagonal patterned paving, Are there any criticisms? Most of the rather than kerb-and-channel and yellow obvious problems are easily solved by adding paint. stuff – more benches, cycle stands and motor Championing excellent design quality in pub- While not a shared space or surface – the bike parks for instance. A more difficult issue lic realm projects is a notion that could easily carriageways, parking spaces and pedestrian is the lack of trees and the familiar under- be overlooked by local authorities given areas (though not cycle lanes) are separate ground services excuse does not make sense current economic pressures. It is hearten- and subtly delineated – the unifying paving with such a wide road and existing trees beg- ing to see the promotion of design quality in pattern and increased pedestrian space gives ging the question. the public sector projects for the recent UDG greater confidence to people to fully occupy But these points notwithstanding, the Awards, and a flagship public realm project and meander across the carriageway at will. high quality transformation of this well- come to fruition through the efforts of one The over-scaled diagonals track across known street into a genuine place is clearly local authority. pedestrian areas, carriageways and parking a triumph for Kensington and Chelsea in The flagship project is the transforma- spaces, comfortably dominating the field particular, as the instigators of the change. tion of Exhibition Road in London, sitting of vision at ground level, while the central We can only hope that the project points the within the Royal Borough of Kensington and lighting shafts create strong verticals, suc- way for more public sector-led public realm Chelsea, and the City of Westminster. This cessfully reflecting the classical and modern projects at all scales and various locations street connects Hyde Park to the heart of columns on the museums and a new Imperial around the country. Kensington and Chelsea, the Natural History College building. Amanda Reynolds Museum, residential properties and other The reduced carriageway does appear to • high profile places, including the Royal Albert confuse a few drivers, slowing their move- Hall. ment, and the overall impression is one of an BESPOKE INSURANCE SCHEME FOR (it is RIBA compliant) and it is often possible UDG NEWS URBAN DESIGN PRACTICES to include additional protection, like legal ex- While the risk of incurring a liability may penses cover. A small percentage of the pre- seem remote, it is generally accepted that a mium is passed to the Urban Design Group, professional engaged in any kind of design so our on-going good work is supported while The Annual General Meeting of the Urban work should maintain Professional Indem- improving the practice’s profitability. Please Design Group will take place at 6.00pm on nity insurance (PI). Clients expect to see it in get in touch for more information. Wednesday 20th June 2012 at The Gallery, 70 place and the cover gives peace of mind, but Robert Huxford Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ. If you at what cost? There are differences between • would like to stand for election to the UDG policy wordings, and care is needed to ensure Executive Committee as a full or correspond- the correct wording is selected, but beyond ing member, please contact the UDG Office by that, and the choice of appropriate limits 6th June. and excesses, PI cover is largely bought on price. The problem has been that the urban URBAN DESIGN LIFT PITch £100 design discipline has not been recognised by COMPETITION the UK insurance market as distinct from, and If you happened to get into a lift with a VIP, crucially presenting a lower risk profile than, possibly a Secretary of State for Environment related fields like architecture and town plan- and Housing (or the equivalent), and had ning. Thanks to the discussions by Amanda three minutes to tell them what urban design Reynolds, myself and underwriters, there is is, and why it mattered, what would you say? now a solution available. The results speak We are inviting entries and you will need to for themselves. Pilots with a couple of UDG provide justification for what you are saying, members have shown savings of between without simply making assertions. Please 35% and 40%. We can usually obtain a quote avoid jargon, and use no more than 300 from a copy of the renewal form, so minimal words. The deadline is 1st June 2012 by email additional input is needed to see whether to [email protected]. There will be such savings would apply to any particular a £100 prize for the best entry; and fame for practice, large or small. Of course, the word- anyone shortlisted. ing chosen is appropriate for the profession Current subscriptions Annual membership rates UD practice index and on the UDG website) Urban Design is free to Urban Design Group UK individuals £40 UK students £20 Local authorities £100 (including two members who also receive newsletters and International individuals £50 copies of Urban Design) the directory at the time of printing Recognised practitioner in urban UK libraries £40 design £80 International libraries £50 UDG Office Practices £250 (including a listing in the UD Individual issues of Urban Design cost £5 Tel 020 7250 0872/0892 practice index and on the UDG website) Email [email protected] Education £100 (including a listing in the Contents CONTENTS This issue has been kindly supported by UPDATE AWARDS Event 2012 Speirs + Major Kevin Lynch Annual Lecture by Christopher Awards Overview 34 Alexander 3 Student Award Runners up Dongni Yao, Ralf COVER Urban Design Graphics 4 Furulund 35 Roskilde Festival 2008, Agora in the camp- William H Whyte Film night 4 Student Award Winner Iain Brodie 36 ing area. Photograph by Carsten Snejbjerg, Urban Design and Public Space 5 ROCKPHOTO Urbanized Reviewed 5 BOOK REVIEWS An Introduction to Sustainable Transporta- FUTURE ISSUES Readers Reply 6 tion, Preston L. Schiller, Eric C. Bruun and Issue 123 – Localism Design Council Cabe – The civic economy 7 Jeffrey R. Kenworthy 38 Issue 124 – Urban Design in the Middle East The Urban Design Library #4 8 Swinging City, a cultural geography of London The Urban Design Interview – Ludovic 1950-1974, Simon Rycroft 38 Pittie 9 Cities for People, Jan Gehl 39 Eco Architecture, The work of Ken Yeang, Spring 2012 VIEWPOINT Sara Hart 39 Urban Design Group Journal 122 ISSn 1750 712x — £5.00 Reflections on an urban design education, Shanghai New Towns, Searching for commu- URBAN Catherine Kedge 10 nity and identity in a sprawling metropolis, TEMPORARY DESIGN URBANISM Dark City, Mark Major 12 Harry den Hartog (Ed) 40 Triumph of the City, Edward Glaeser 40 TOPIC: TEMPORARY URBANISM Biophilic Cities, integrating nature into urban Introduction, Irena Bauman 14 design and planning, Timothy Beatley 41 When people take charge, Henning The Principles of Green Urbanism, Steffen Thomsen 16 Lehmann 41 Urban life for everyone – temporary meas- ures as a planning method, Tina Saaby 19 PRACTICE INDEX 42 Citizens as urban co-producers, Peter Schultz EDUCATION INDEX 48 Jørgensen and Jes Vagnby 22 A tool towards adaptable Neighbourhoods, ENDPIECE Cany Ash 26 Landmark decisions, Joe Holyoak 49 Stepping Stones: A new approach to Community-Led Regeneration, John Harrison 29 URBAN Temporary Urbanism – its relevance and DESIGN GROUP impact on teaching urban design, Florian URBAN DESIGN Kossak 32 GROUP WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 2012 WEDNESDAY 20 JUNE 2012 DIARY OF Garden Cities Urban Design Group AGM Housing Minister Grant Shapps has revived and Chair’s Choice Event EVENTS interest in Garden Cities as a model for new The Urban Design group’s annual general development in the 21st century; but how meeting will take place from 6pm, followed well does Ebenezer Howard’s concept fare at 6:30pm by a speaker personally selected Unless otherwise indicated, all LONDON in the modern era? Speakers include Patricia by out-going Chair Amanda Reynolds. The events are held at The Gallery, 70 Cowcross Craggs on Letchworth Garden City. Please evening will also see the official launch of the Street, London EC1M 6EJ at 6.30 pm. Tickets check the UDG website for details of a UDG Urban Design Awards 2012-13 on the door from 6.00pm. £3.00 for full price visit to Letchworth earlier in May. UDG members and £7.00 for non-members; WEDNESDAY 11 JULY 2012 £1.00 for UDG member students and £3.00 TUESDAY 12 JUNE 2012 Urban Design and Localism for non-member students. For further details Local Authorities: What does localism mean for urban design? see www.udg.org.uk/events/udg How to Create a Quality Town Has localism been at the heart of urban What should local authorities be doing to design right from the start? What are the WEDNESDAY 25 APRIL 2012 raise the quality of the areas for which they best ways of involving local people positively Temporary Urban Design are responsible? This event showcases local in the future of their community? This event With the global financial crisis biting hard, authority best practice as exemplified by will feature contributors to issue 123 of the temporary urbanism comes to the fore.